BJP MP's 'arrogant' swipe at Rahul Gandhi after he claims being gagged
"Defence Minister and others from the government are allowed to speak, but Opposition leaders are not allowed to speak. I am the Leader of Opposition, it is my right to speak, but they don't let me speak," the Congress MP told reporters outside Parliament.Uproar erupted in both Houses of Parliament soon after proceedings began, with the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha adjourned following the Opposition's demand for an immediate discussion on Operation Sindoor.The Opposition raised slogans in both Houses over its demand for a discussion on Operation Sindoor, under which Indian armed forces carried out attacks on terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK) following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed 26 lives.Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said he was ready to allow the members to raise all issues, including Operation Sindoor, after Question Hour - the first hour of the day when members raise questions related to different ministries and departments.The government has allocated 16 hours for a debate on Operation Sindoor in the Lok Sabha and nine hours in the Rajya Sabha. The debate is likely to happen next week.- EndsMust Watch
IN THIS STORY#Bharatiya Janta Party#Indian National Congress#Parliament
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
5 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
‘Will raise a glass of Johnnie Walker': How UK CEOs reacted to India-UK free trade deal
Businesses across India and the United Kingdom have welcomed the free trade agreement between the two countries with open arms. The agreement, which was signed on Thursday after negotiations that lasted for around three years, will make it easier for traders of both India and UK to do business with the other country. The India-UK free trade agreement was signed on Thursday during PM Modi's UK visit where he met his British counterpart Keir Starmer(Bloomberg) While for India, 99 per cent exports will see duty-free access to the UK, unlocking nearly $23 billion in opportunities for labour-intensive sectors, the United Kingdom will enjoy a collective uplift in wages of £2.2 billion (around $2.85 billion) each year and could also see cheaper prices and more choice on clothes, shoes, and food products, along with several tariff slashes. Also read: Duty on single malt cut by half: What gets cheaper with key India-UK trade deal With this trade deal, several UK businesses will have better access to the Indian market and vice versa. Many products made in the UK, such as cars, medical equipment, cosmetics, and whisky among others, will potentially be available in India for more affordable prices. How UK businesses reacted to the FTA Tufan Erginbiligic, Chief Executive Officer of luxury car maker Rolls-Royce, welcomed the agreement and said that the FTA will benefit Rolls-Royce and their customers, paving the way for future aerospace growth in India. 'India is an important market for our business, with over 90 years of partnership with Indian industry and the Indian Government. We welcome the provisions in this Free Trade Agreement, including those that bring closer alignment with international standards for trade in civil aerospace. These agreements will benefit Rolls-Royce and our customers, paving the way for future aerospace growth in India,' he said. Also read: India-UK sign FTA, PM Starmer calls it 'most significant' deal since EU exit His remarks come as Airbus & Rolls-Royce will soon begin delivering Airbus aircraft – with over half powered by Rolls-Royce engines – to major Indian airlines as part of around £5 billion worth of contracts recently agreed. Johnnie Walker chief on India-UK FTA Nik Jhangiani, the interim Chief Executive of Diageo - the UK company behind iconic scotch whisky brands such as Johnnie Walker, said that the 'agreement marks a great moment for both Scotch and Scotland.' 'We'll be raising a glass of Johnnie Walker to all those who have worked so hard to get it secured,' he said. Under the FTA, it will be easier for British firms to also export whisky to India with tariffs slashed in half, reduced immediately from 150 per cent to 75 per cent and then dropped even further to 40 per cent over the next ten years. Jean-Etienne Gourgues, Chivas Brothers Chairman and CEO, said that the FTA is 'a sign of hope in challenging times for the spirits industry'. 'India is the world's biggest whisky market by volume and greater access will be an eventual game changer for the export of our Scotch whisky brands, such as Chivas Regal and Ballantine's,' he said. 'The deal will support long term investment and jobs in our distilleries in Speyside and our bottling plant at Kilmalid and help deliver growth in both Scotland and India over the next decade,' he added. William Bain, head of trade policy at British Chambers of Commerce, said that the FTA 'will open a new era for our businesses and boost investment between two of the world's largest economies.' 'Currently around 16,000 UK companies are trading goods with Indian companies, and there is high interest in our Chamber Network to grow that. This deal will create new opportunities in the transport, travel, creative and business support sectors alongside traditional strengths in finance and professional services,' he said.
Time of India
5 minutes ago
- Time of India
Defamation case against Rahul Gandhi: Hearing deferred to Aug 8
The defamation case against Rahul Gandhi was adjourned in the MP-MLA court due to lawyers' abstention, rescheduling the hearing for August 8. BJP leader Vijay Mishra filed the suit in 2018, alleging objectionable remarks against Amit Shah during the Karnataka elections. Gandhi, who surrendered and received bail earlier this year, recently claimed innocence, alleging a political conspiracy. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads The hearing in a defamation case against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was adjourned on Thursday in the MP-MLA court due to lawyers abstaining from court has now fixed August 8 as the next date of case dates back to 2018, when BJP leader Vijay Mishra filed a defamation suit against Gandhi, alleging that the Congress leader had made objectionable remarks against Union Home Minister Amit Shah during the Karnataka Assembly election Santosh Kumar Pandey, appearing on behalf of Vijay Mishra, said the court was the hearing had to be deferred due to lawyers asbstaining from work due to Bar association MP-MLA court had issued a warrant against Rahul Gandhi in December February 2024, Gandhi surrendered before the court and was granted bail on two sureties of Rs 25,000 July 26, 2024, Gandhi recorded his statement in court, claiming innocence and stating that the case was part of a political conspiracy against him.
Hindustan Times
5 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
PM Modi's foreign visits cost state exchequer over ₹350 crore since 2021: MEA
India spent over ₹67 crore on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to five countries in 2025, and more than ₹295 crore on foreign trips between 2021 and 2024, the ministry of external affairs (MEA) told the Parliament on Thursday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarks on his visit to the United Kingdom earlier this week. (Photo from X) The figures were shared in a written response to a query by Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien. The MEA provided details of expenditures on visits to five countries so far in 2025 – France, the United States, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Saudi Arabia – while clarifying that bills for visits to the remaining nine countries undertaken this year are still being processed. Among the disclosed figures for 2025, ₹25.5 crore were spent on the visit to France, ₹16.5 crore for the US, ₹4.9 crore for Thailand, ₹4.4 crore for Sri Lanka and ₹15.5 crore for Saudi Arabia. A year-wise breakdown shows that foreign visits by the Prime Minister cost over ₹100 crore in 2024, ₹93 crore in 2023, ₹55 crore in 2022, and ₹36 crore in 2021. The most expensive single destination so far has been the United States, where four visits since 2021 cost over ₹74.44 crore. This was followed by France ( ₹41.29 crore across three visits) and Japan ( ₹32.96 crore across three visits). The MEA also provided data on publicity-related expenses, noting that over ₹1.03 crore was spent on advertising and broadcasting the PM's public engagements abroad. The highest of these expenses was in Egypt ( ₹11.90 lakh), while several countries registered zero expenditure under this head. Common activities listed as part of PM Modi's foreign itinerary included bilateral meetings, interactions with the Indian diaspora, participation in international summits, memorial visits and state banquets. In terms of official delegations, the Prime Minister travelled with 145 officials to 16 countries in 2024. In 2025 so far, he visited France and the US with 15 delegates each; Thailand and Sri Lanka with 16; Saudi Arabia and Mauritius with 11; and several others, including Cyprus, Canada, and Argentina, with delegations ranging from 13 to 15 members. In comparison, 85 officials accompanied him to 10 countries in 2023, 84 to eight countries in 2022 and 41 to four countries in 2021.
